The new Turkish MKEK Mehmecik MPT-76 National Rifle

Six years ago the Turkish government announced that their armed forces were switching from the H&K G3 to an HK416 derivative that they were manufacturing domestically under license from H&K. The rifle, which was virtually identical to the HK416N, was called the Mehmetçik-1. Since that announcement I have not seen or heard the Mehmetçik-1 mentioned anywhere. Apparently Turkish soldiers, who were used to their 7.62mm battle rifles, disliked the range and stopping power of the 5.56mm cartridge.

A few days ago MKEK and government officials announced a new service rifle, the MKEK MPT-76 National Rifle. According to them, it is the first Turkish designed service rifle. These photos were published on the Facebook page of the Savunma Sanayii Müsteşarlığı (the Turkish government department that manages the defense industry) …

It is clear from these photos that the design is based on the AR-10. At least externally it bears a very close resemblance to the H&K HK417. According to a post by Tolga on WAFF forum, the see-through handle is for troops mounting and dismounting from vehicles, and the curved handguard in front of the magazine well is to keep the hands of conscripts away from the handguard (they are not issued gloves).

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

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Mike

Wait, its 2014 and someone is trying to reintroduce “carry handles” for infantry rifles? I though that was a cold war fad, unless you were/are an LMG or anti-materiel rifle…

Steve Truffer

They say its for getting out of vehicles. I’d be more comfortable with a bunch of adrenaline-hyped guys hopping off trucks and apcs gripping that than the pistol grip with their finger on the trigger. Besides, it looks detachable, and if they make a sustained fire version, it one less thing to design.

GUNxSPECTRE

I was just about to say, “Hey, what about the mass infantry wave charging bayonets?”, then I saw the second image. I am not disappointed.

/sarcasm

consa

Turkish military is a conscript force

Ilgar Değirmenci

MKEK probably is the least serious government company here . Damn those guys , they always screw it big time . As with the mehmetçik 1 fiasco . you can see it in the videos where they shoot blanks . So shameful if you ask me . And those guys were to represent the company . well they do .

at IDEF 13 , when I had a conversation with an H&K representative , he told me that hk had no involvement with the neither rifles . Which makes Mehmetçik 1 an unlicensed copy , which is worse , as opposed to how it’s stated as a licensed production rifle in the article .

Anyway;
Mkek is only there to manufacture the rifle . What is good news is that design actually belongs to Kalekalıp , a private company which was in charge of designing the rifle .

That’s interesting their design was already finished almost 2 year ago.
(And we can also find even spec ops guys aren’t issued gloves in Turkey, above.)

George

Yes, MKEK (government owned) producers of the rifle were having difficulties making the rifle reliable. They had to have external help from another (private company) KaleKalip to make the action reliable and pass Turkish Armed forces Acceptance tests. It’s why the above pictures have KALE on them and why it took so long for the rifle to be accepted and production to start.

CA

7.62 nato? Are you for real? I think someone needs to inform the Turkish military that the 1960’s happened over 50 years ago. The US didn’t adopt the M14 because of uncontrollability in full auto, and the fact that you could carry far more 5.56. Is it because the terrain in Turkey favors a battle rifle?

Steve (TFB Editor)

Different country, different needs. They are fighting militants in mountainous terrain.

Turkey usually engage PKK fighters in mountainous terrain were long range cobat is common, plus they prefer the knock down power and ballistic performance of the 7.62 NATO. Its quite similar to why the ISAF in Afghanistan have brought the M14 and other 7.62 weapons back from retirement and why many nations have adopted modern weapons chambered for the round, because its more powerful than 5.56 and the enemy wont get up again even at 800 meters.

Joshua

Seriously? I’ve seen plenty of guys take 2-3 com shots before they went down. 7.62 NATO is not some magical bullet that guarantees to kill the target with one shot…..Unless you get a brain or CNS shot chances are they will take more than one round to put down.

kev

I know its not a “magic bullet” and does not guarantee a one shot one kill, but the Turkish military have huge stockpiles of the round and are currently equipped with 7.62 weapons. What I am trying to say there is a preference for it and being that they usually operate in mountainous terrain with many skirmishes being at longer ranges its better suited to their needs.

dp

In hindsight, I’d rather say they simply took a shortcut. While in the West (which Turkey is obviously not part of) is endless squabbling about deficient 5.56 round and what potential replacement should be, they acted on their accord. They might be just as well right.

Yellow Devil

Yeah, well that’s what the military brass thought with our 5.56 rounds until we needed to dig out old M14’s to counter the Afghan Mujis in the mountains.

C.

Sort of looks like an AR-15 mated with a Beretta ARX 160.

dp

Here we go again – allahu snackbar, albeit in Turkish version. But, any way you look at it, every nation have their “national rifle” (with minor exceptions) so why not Turkey. It is populous country with growing industrial capacity, to be sure. Keep shooting into air, Mahdi is coming!

Beiruty

Why are you some much hateful for Muslims? Do you know that Turkey, a NATO member has the largest army in NATO after US? Your derogatory comment is an indicative of your ignorance and bigotry.

Cynic

Mainly because the turks have a reputation for racial and religion fueled violence. They are a Muslim nation and have form for that kind of thing. The army is hunting dissidents with extreme beliefs and based on that video the shooting style and training is bloody similar to middle eastern ‘militia’ forces.

dp

Actually, I have great deal of respect for Turks. By making subtle joke I am not trying to say to contrary. What really makes me wonder is this funny custom they put in display while they try to be a modern nation at the same time. I just call it as it is – cute.

YUCI

this is why i dont want to be with you guys. always say something bad abouth muslims. Let me show you the evulation of your hate: at middle age your church told “Muslims praying to a god named”telegard” or something lets kill INFIDELS “, after we bacame “SATAN” ,then muslims lost their superiority and you called us “POOR INSECTS” , finally ignorance captured the whole muslim world and with a world trade center bombing -A BIG LIE- our name became “TERRORISTS”. Be honest dude! there are always a name for us. But the same fire of hate will keep burning forever in your chest!

Cynic

The hate isn’t on my side mate. I merely comment based on my experiences, in Germany where there is a culture of turkisk people carrying knives, using them to threaten and intimidate. Same experience in England within areas that are home to turkish expat communities. Look at what happened when Leeds went over three fans were murdered because a turkish team lost and the fans couldn’t handle it so they murdered a man in a bar just for being Leeds fan and the police did nothing, yet when they came to England they demanded police protection and control of the Leeds fans because they knew if they did the same without the protection and indifference of the local police the tables would turn. The reputation for violence is more about the turkish than it is aboutthe turkish being muslim.

Admittedly there are militant muslim turkish groups in Germany calling for sharia law and forced conversion but that’s a feature of extremist islam as a whole rather than turkish islam. If you want to talk about islam this blog isn’t the place though I would happily have that conversation as long as it is polite and rational rather than your current immediate assumption that we are bigoted and hateful. If you are just going to deny that terror attacks were committed in the name of islam and that all none positive glowing comments about islam are a ploy by the evil West however we can’t have that discussion as it would just be you twisting my words and ranting until you believe you have trapped me and then using my words out of context to reinforce your persecution complex

dp

No hatred sir, this is NOT my territory. Just taking note of (certain ‘identifiable’) groups behaviour. They are rather ‘cute’, more than anything. Religious believes are not in the way as long as they stay private, as they should be.

Cameron

Turkey is only home to the largest number of man boy rapists who are then flooded into Europe.

Altay

You say so? At least in Turkey havent priests raped boys and girls in masses…Yu know what i mean…Trashtalking and lying in the same time isnt a sign of a good charakter btw…

dp

BTW, if you think I am “imbued” with qualities as you describe me, than I beg my comment to be removed by editor. Salam!

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/ Phil W “Senior Writer TFB”

If it was way out of line it would already be gone–

Amr

Are you out of your mind? Saying muslim god is a snackbar is not consider insult from hateful person? It is WAY OUT OF LINE. If you don’t know the meaning don’t simply modify word of other language, especially related to someone God.

Yellow Devil

I didn’t really see anything “hateful” about his comment. Yeeash dial down the sensitivity training.

Turkey used to have a real class military. But ever since the Islamic (lite) “Justice and Development Party” took over, they have purged officers who they didn’t trust. And for having a large NATO army, they didn’t really contribute a whole lot in Afghanistan, relegating them to mostly non-combat duty. Even Non-NATO countries such as Australia had troops see more combat than Turkey did.

Altay

Stop talking out of your anus…The investments in the own domestic military industry has increase rapidly in the last 12 years. And your claims about combat experience is a fairy tale too. TSK is after the USA on par with UK when it comes to combat experience. The Afghanistan war, which was a good decision btw. to not participate actively, is a poor explanation. Cause the biggest part of the Soldiers who was on the front were from the US and a part from UK. How much Soldiers has sended for example Australia? Do you know? Big part of turkish Soldiers has gained combat experience over the last 30 years against the PKK in a Guerilla war! TSK manpower decreases and becomes from day to day more professional. Poor arguments! Try harder next time…

Displaced Person

ananı götten sikiyim oruspu çocuğu, oldumu şimdi.

LCON

Turkey has been investing a lot… And I mean Alot in there defence for the last decade. New Tanks, New Utility and Attack Choppers, New IFV’s New Chinese designed Air defence missiles, F35’s, new Sub hunters… new new new and a lot of it is being targeted for indigenous production.

dp

You really have to wonder why they do it – it costs lot of money which steals from living standard. I do not see Greece as a viable threat, neither Iran – they have their interest elsewhere. Mentioned Kurdish guerillas are not a serious military threat either. Besides, long time enemy Russia is more of friend for last decade or two. The only interpretation is that Turkey wants to be some sort of regional “super-power”. Old mindset, I suppose.

George

Well they only use 3% of their GDP to do it, so not much of an impact on living standards if any. Why wouldn’t they do it? In the long run it will be cheaper to produce at home than to buy outside without any external pressure or restrictions that goes with it.
There are far too many pluses than negatives.

dp

That’s for sure, but I am not sure those 3% is right figure. After all if you look at reality of their armament programs as LCON reminds us and (true made in Turkey) GDP, it should rise a question. At the end it is like everything else; we have built-in suspicion of every publicly issued piece of information as potentially incorrect. You can search “fact” and hope they are what they are supposed to be.

Joe Schmoe

GDP refers to services as well, not just products.

dp

yeah Joe, I am aware of it. As a matter of fact it also accounts for items such as domestic civil construction and maintenance. Think of those earthquakes…. yikes. Works for GDP pretty well.

LCON

Right, Small arms is just the lowest rung of a Ladder Turkey is building and building big This is a Nation that seems to have goals in the Region, They are a active participant in Syria, but most critically they have Iran who is also in a constant build up.
We like to dismiss them as a threat but today Iran is a regional threat. they might not have the best stuff but they have enough and are building more dangerous.

dp

Very true ELCON, you have good grasp of it.

Emrah

well, do not relay on official figures, Undersecretary of Defense and numerous foundations belong to Armed Forces has their own sources of income. Also major defense companies like Aselsan, Roketsan etc.. belong to Armed Forces Foundation. They are locating their own incomes and funds for R&D. When you check government budget allocations for the projects (Specially R&D), you would notice that they are much more lower than they should be.

Reda

well said

iksnilol

3% of GDP steals from living standard? What does 50% do then?

dp

Well, you tell me. As far as I know, good part od Turkish population lives in Germany and transfers wages back home to do business there.

iksnilol

Is that so bad? What you do with your own money is your own business.

I could bet that more Turkish workers live and work in Germany.

dp

That may be so, but it also fuzzes GDP; many of those Turks are not German citizens. So, they earn under Turkish gov’t heading (I suppose they pay taxes in both countries). Same was the case with me when I worked Stateside.

Altay

Sry but thats Bullshit! Tell me one country, that would accept, that a citizen of a state would pay taxes for his home country?

Im living in Germany btw, thats why i can confirm thats not true…

RustyShackleford1911

No major power spends close to 50% of their GDP on the Military.

iksnilol

Oh, sorry my numbers/terminology was off.

Also I do not trust official percentages, it doesn’t add up.

The budget for 2015 is 750 billion USD, for the same year debt payments are 251 billion. Social security and medicare + medicaid are about 1700 billion combined. Health&human services 70 billion, education also 70, housing and urban development is about 32.

GDP is the total market value of a country’s output. It is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a given period of time by factors of production located within a country. GDP is concerned only with new, or current, production. Old output is not countedin current GDP because it was already counted when it was produced. GDP does not count transactions in which money or goods changes hands but in which no new goods and services are produced.

GDP = C+ I+ G+ (EX−IM)

So the U.S. GDP is roughly ~$17.15 Trillion USD.

Disclaimer: Took Macroeconomics in university.

iksnilol

Yeay you are right, I messed up my terminology.

Sorry, a bit tired and stressed.

Reda

They want military independance + to export weapons to middle eastern and third world countries ( a cheaper western technology ) + greece and turkey have no reason to be enemies , the military in industry is oriented towards future threats from the middle east such as the kurdish threat (backed by kurdistan irak) the iranian growth and the new terrorist groupes such as the ISIS near it borders , not to mention a future tension between NATO and Russia and her future allies (possibly a crisis over the arctic oil ).

Jilu Khan Spandiary

Oh god, hideous design.

Lance

Looks like a 417 clone only difference there version is plan ugly looking with the hand guards and curved receiver.

Bravo

That curved piece is removable. It protects the hands if you don’t use gloves, it works as a magwell grip, it helps with a angled grip when positioned forward below hand guard.
I thought magwell grips and Magpul AFG were useful accessories for AR shooters?

Thomas Gomez

Poor HK. First the FX-05 issue with the Mexican government then this. I hope MKEK is serious about QC in regards to their metallurgy due this rifle having an oprod.

Beiruty

I would love to see a semi-auto version to be exported to US that is if and only if the spec and quality is on-par of a true HK417. So far, I am waiting for AXR100.

dp

Exactly. And this is what you pay if you are more technologically advanced than others; they simply live on your back. It is possible that HK does not have a mood for fighting infringement, perhaps for political reasons.

d_grey

“The ARX meets the M16″ rifle, good effort by the Turks though.

Arda Mevlutoglu

Some notes:

1. “Mehmetcik” (The Turkish version of G.I. Joe) is not the official / unofficial designation of this rifle. Mehmetcik was the name given by MKEK to a “prototype” allegedly developed to fulfill Turkish Army’s asault rifle requirements, just before the commence of this project. Mehmetcik very soon turned out to be HK-417 itself, just stamping MKEK logo on top of an imported rifle from H&K.

2. This newly developed rifle by MKEK & KaleKalip is designated as MPT-76. No other nicknames (yet).

3. Turkish army has already using 5.56mm (M-16 and HK-33) at its operations against PKK. It is proved to be a failure. Indeed, the tech spec’s of this project was subsequently changed from 5.56 to 7.62 in the course.

4. In terms of mechanism, MPT-76 has no relationship with HK-416/417. The project produced several patents in due course (around 10 as far as I remember) and the mechanism is derived from another existing design, which I cannot disclose here. Material, manufacturing process etc are all new.

Tolga

Orko, or I THINK its you Orko. The weird part about the name MPT-76 is that on the side of the rifle it writes MPT-13 at the moment. I don’t know if 76 is just a civilian designation or the number of years they plan on taking before fielding fully but for future reference, it writes MPT-13 on the side so its pretty confusing which is the official name. But yeah as Arda/Orko stated “Mehmetçik” was only an imported HK416 with an Elcan on it.

echelon

awwwww yeah! Gamechanger!

avconsumer2

Seems… meh… metcik. (Couldn’t resist)

iksnilol

I like it, nice to see carry handles in an usable format. Also 7.62×51 NATO is nice too, especially in long distance terrain. Much better than 5.56 in those environments.

I don’t understand why some comment that 7.62 is bad and uncontrolable on full auto. You don’t use full auto, you always use semi.

SGeex

I think it is interesting that they are using a “key-mod”-like handguard and not the full-length picatinny rail ones,which you usually see on new military assault rifles.

Leonidas

Actually, the only original part of the hk-417 is its piston system. The rest of it almost the same as AR-10.

Turkish rifle’s piston is different design so you can not say it is copy of HK-417. But it is correct that this rifle is a derivative of AR-10 with a piston system.

Dick is a Dick

My apologies, these are merely my opinions, but this just seems really dumb. I don’t see why you would want to replace the G3 with an HK417/AR-10 copy.

Leonidas

G3 is an obsolete weapon. It is not reliable enough in dusty and wet conditions. You may think it is a good rifle in shooting range but things are very different in mountainous terrain. Even M-16 is reliable than a G3 in the field.

Tolga

A German made G3 does not have any reliability issues. I used a German G3 produced in 1967 and it was damn near perfect, but that problem was due to the older magazines feeding. Throw in a new polymer mag on an older G3 and you’ve got yourself a very capable weapon.

Tolga

Hi, this is Tolga from WAFF. To answer some of the poo poo being posted here I decided to make one post to sum it all up.

To begin with, as stated there are reasons for the curved grip in front of the magazine well and the grip. Both can be removed in a matter of seconds. The curved grip is for conscripts who do not use gloves, this was always an issue within the old guards in the Turkish Armed Forces, the weapons need to be barehands friendly. The carrying handle is solely for mounting and dismounting from vehicles. Turkish helicopters do not land when they drop off troops, they hover around a meter above the ground and the soldiers jump off, and thats not exactly a wise thing to do with your hand near the trigger whether the safety is on or off.

The reason this rifle is 7.62 is because we already issue a 5.56 rifle, a modified HK33 by the name of MKEK T-50. This rifle will serve alongside the 5.56 rifle as both a standard issue rifle and as a designated marksman rifle. So technically its hitting 2 birds with one stone as the Americans say. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started to take the SVD out of service along with the G3 because quite frankly this rifle makes the SVD irrelevant. The average firefight is in ranges out to 800 meters (Turkey is probably 90% mountain), the HK33 struggles with that kind of range.

Yellow Devil, Australia hasn’t been fighting an insurgency within its borders since 84, neither has any other NATO member.

Lt. Dan

I like that carry handle vs anything made in the US for AR’s. Looks far more useable. From guys who’ve actually been stationed in Turkey, the Turks spend more time shooting at noises in the dark and each other than anything else.

Leonidas

FUTURE TRENDS

Does NATO Really Need Two
Standard Rifle Calibers?
I. Purpose: To reestablish the 7.62mm NATO cartridge as the
optimum rifle caliber ammunition for the U. S. and NATO.
II. Problem: NATO recently adopted the 5.56mm as its second
standard rifle caliber cartridge. As a result, the existing NATO
standard, the 7.62mm, has been relegated to a secondary
supporting role within NATO’s armed forces. Although the
selection of the 5.56mm was based on extensive testing, research,
and documented battle performance, this intermediate power round
is not the optimum ammunition and caliber for U. S. and NATO
forces in the contemplated battlefields of the future.

What’s the name of the first rifle? Seriously, If I don’t find out, it will drive me mad for the whole weekend.

Displaced Person

Korean Army and Japanese Army ordered this rifle and mother of dp has an information about it, I whispered her at night, careless whisper. Ulan ibneler siz de adam olun sikikler malınızla övünün avradını siktiklerim, siz varken düşmana ne gerek var amın oğulları.

eyup

5.56 would be better.7.62 has many disadvantages.heavier, recoil problem cause nonstable shoots especially burst and auto.Carrying less ammunition compare with 5.56.Only advantage is long range but that is not sniper rifle…